The relationship between hyperscalers and connectivity carriers is no longer transactional—it’s transformational. Together, they are shaping a new foundation for Asia’s digital economy: from distributed cloud infrastructure and edge compute to AI workloads, satellite connectivity, and the monetisation of network APIs. But as the lines blur between cloud and connectivity, what does this evolving partnership mean for business models, go-to-market strategies, and long-term infrastructure planning? 

Asia’s connectivity market is entering a transformative era—where the convergence of infrastructure, digital services, and emerging technologies is reshaping how value is created. 5G is scaling, 6G is on the horizon, AI is redefining network intelligence, and hyperscalers are accelerating the buildout of digital infrastructure across the region. This session brings together the region’s most forward-thinking leaders to explore the viability of the traditional telco model—before broadening into a dynamic discussion on how Asia’s connectivity leaders can move beyond infrastructure and reinvent themselves as digital service and innovation platforms.  

 

• From infrastructure to intelligence: How are AI, edge compute, and network APIs driving new product innovation across Asia’s connectivity landscape? 

• Platform business models and service monetisation: What are the most promising monetisation strategies—from network-as-a-service and B2B platforms to consumer bundles and cross-industry plays? 

• Rethinking partnerships and investment: How are carriers and hyperscalers reconfiguring traditional roles and capital flows in infrastructure development—and what does this mean for long-term business viability? 

• Tech convergence at scale: How are subsea, satellite, towers, cloud, and data centres being integrated to support next-gen applications, from immersive content to industrial automation? 

• Looking toward 6G and beyond: What frontier technologies and use cases should the industry prepare for—and how can Asia lead in defining global standards and innovation ecosystems? 

To remain commercially relevant and competitively differentiated, Asia’s connectivity industry must go beyond bandwidth and become the foundational layer powering AI-driven transformation in enterprises and government. 

 

From smart cities to AI-assisted manufacturing and connected healthcare, public and private sector demand for low-latency, intelligent services is rising fast. Meeting that demand requires the combined muscle of telcos, towercos, and data centre operators—working together to localise compute, distribute AI workloads, and enable vertical-specific innovation. 

 

• AI at the edge, enabled by infrastructure: How are telcos, towercos, and data centres collaborating to deliver real-world edge use cases—like smart traffic systems, predictive industrial maintenance, and AI-enhanced logistics? 

• Next-gen digital infrastructure roles: How are towercos moving up the stack as neutral hosts or edge compute enablers, and how are data centres adapting to support dense, AI-ready workloads? 

• Evolving business models: How are telcos, towercos, and DC operators reshaping their commercial strategies to align with hyperscalers, vertical platforms, and national digital agendas? 

• Strategic right to play: As the demand for sovereign AI and regulated cloud increases, what role can regional infrastructure players take in enabling secure, compliant, scalable services? 

As telecom operators race to meet the demands of a cloud-first world, Network-as-a-Service is emerging as a key enabler for enterprise agility, infrastructure flexibility, and scalable service delivery. This session explores how carriers are transforming traditional network functions into programmable, on-demand services to better serve enterprises and unlock new B2B revenue streams. Discussion points include: 

 

• Adoption drivers: What’s accelerating the shift toward NaaS in Asia’s telecom ecosystem? 

• Enterprise transformation: How can carriers meet the evolving demands of digital enterprises through NaaS offerings? 

• Revenue strategies: What monetisation models are proving most effective with NaaS, and how can carriers diversify beyond connectivity? 

• Tech enablers: How do 5G, edge computing, AI, and SDN/NFV underpin scalable NaaS deployments? 

Satellite technology is revolutionising Asia’s connectivity, bridging rural gaps, supporting 5G and IoT, and ensuring network resilience. However, spectrum regulation, high deployment costs, and competition among key players pose challenges. This panel will explore the future of satellite communications, investment trends, and the obstacles to widespread adoption.  

• Expanding connectivity: How LEO and GEO satellites complement fibre and mobile networks in remote areas.  

• Hybrid connectivity models: How is connectivity changing with the convergence of satellite and terrestrial models? What is the commercial model for wholesale partnerships with the satco operators? 

While SMS has long been a cornerstone of carrier services, the rise of OTT messaging platforms, shifting consumer behaviour and failure to prevent fraudulent activity is forcing carriers to evolve. This session dives into the future of SMS, RCS, and business messaging, exploring how carriers can modernise, monetise, and reposition messaging as a strategic asset for enterprise and consumer communication.  

 

• Survival of SMS: how can SMS remain relevant amid the rise of WhatsApp, WeChat, and other OTT platforms? 

• Enterprise messaging: how are carriers leveraging A2P SMS and RCS to create value in business-to-consumer engagement? 

• Harnessing CPaaS: How carriers can leverage CPaaS to deliver programmable communications, embed themselves deeper into enterprise workflows, and tap into API-driven growth. 

• Monetisation strategies: Can SMS and RCS become premium services again through innovation, bundling, or APIs? Or is RCS expected to cannibalise SMS? 

• Fraud prevention & trust: What tools and standards are available to secure messaging channels, especially for authentication and alerts? 

Explore the latest findings in the Digital Infrastructure Leaders Report shaped by insights from the region’s leading digital infrastructure movers and shakers  

Asia has become a magnet for digital infrastructure capital—but the region’s vast diversity means investors are playing a complex game of regulatory navigation, infrastructure partnership, and geopolitical alignment. From hyperscale joint ventures in Indonesia to sovereign data centre platforms in India and carrier-neutral expansions in the Philippines, investment choices hinge on much more than demand forecasts. 

 

Take a behind-the-scenes look at how institutional investors, private equity firms, and infrastructure funds are evaluating risk, timing, scalability, and exit strategies in one of the most high-growth—but nuanced—regions in the world. 

As hyperscaler demand and data sovereignty reshape the digital infrastructure landscape in Asia, Southeast Asian governments are racing to position themselves as competitive, secure, and scalable destinations for data centre and cloud investments. But success hinges on more than land and power — it’s about the right regulatory frameworks, clarity on incentives, and predictable pathways for foreign investment. 

As Asia’s digital economies scale, the ability to store, process, and secure data within national borders is becoming a condition of market access — not a preference. The convergence of data sovereignty, AI infrastructure demand, and geopolitical risk is forcing operators, hyperscalers, and investors to radically rethink site selection, capital deployment, and public–private partnerships. 

 

Explore how sovereign-backed cloud and AI deals are reshaping the region’s data centre map — from compliance-led builds to multi-node localisation strategies.  

As Asia races to scale data centre capacity, power access is emerging as the single greatest bottleneck to digital infrastructure growth. AI workloads are accelerating the shift toward ultra-high-density infrastructure, yet the region’s grid systems, energy pricing structures, sustainability goals, and storage limitations are struggling to keep up. 

 

Discover how Asia Pacific’s energy ecosystem—across policy, utility, investment, and innovation—must evolve to enable reliable, scalable, and low-carbon data centre expansion.  

While rack density, power, and cooling dominate the conversation around data centre readiness, none of it matters without fibre. Fibre networks form the digital arteries that connect data centres to carriers, clouds, cable landing stations, edge zones, and end users. Yet in many parts of Asia, fibre availability and quality lag behind hyperscale ambitions – posing an underestimated bottleneck risk.  

 

Understand the hidden dependency of data centres on dark fibre, metro interconnects, and long-haul routes — and asks how governments, telcos, and neutral providers can keep pace with AI-era connectivity demands. 

 

As hyperscalers and colocation providers ramp up investments across Asia-Pacific, the data centre construction ecosystem is under immense pressure to scale faster, more sustainably, and across new locations.  

 

Navigate the realities of building next-generation digital infrastructure in the region: from labour and skills gaps to supply chain fragility.  

AI, sustainability, and surging demand are redefining what a future‑proof data centre looks like. Rising rack densities, energy constraints, and evolving ESG requirements are challenging traditional assumptions about design, cooling, and site longevity. 

 

As AI reshapes the architecture of digital infrastructure and power demands escalate, data centre design is being pushed into uncharted territory. Traditional design assumptions — around rack density, cooling, energy availability, and site lifespan — are rapidly becoming obsolete. 

As AI demand reshapes data centre design and scale, real estate strategy has moved to the forefront of infrastructure planning. From navigating zoning restrictions to aligning with utility capacity and local permitting frameworks, land is now a gating factor for deployment speed, investor confidence, and long-term scalability.